


to fight again

by ceraunos



Series: black sails prompt fills [2]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: FlintHamilton, London era, M/M, Prompt Fill, Roughhousing, and plantation era too, there's no relationship drama or anything don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 02:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16296248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceraunos/pseuds/ceraunos
Summary: James has never fought for fun, it was always brawls and blue knuckles and split lips and real, red rage. He wonders if this is a part of something Thomas was denied when he was young coming out to play now.~For the prompt: teach me to fight. Three instances of Thomas & fighting.





	to fight again

**Author's Note:**

> quick prompt fill for paleanddepressed1 over on tumblr.

Thomas approaches with all the stealth of an excitable kitten. James smothers a smile and doesn’t turn around, pretending not to have heard him. Thomas’ arms snap out and James finds his arms pinned to his sides with surprising strength. Thomas drops his head onto James’ shoulder and kisses the side of his jaw.

“What’s this for?” He says, tilting his head to look at Thomas. Thomas just shrugs and lets him go, settling into his chair on the other side of his desk and bringing out the latest stack of papers they’re working on.

The next time it happens they’re in bed. James is reading by the pale morning light while Thomas dozes next to him. The sleepy peace is suddenly broken when Thomas springs up and lands heavy on James’ stomach, restraining his hands against the pillow and sending the book flying in the process. James is momentarily stunned and then Thomas leans over and bites at his lip and James forgets everything in the desperate warmth of Thomas’ mouth.

It happens again and again and eventually James realises Thomas is trying to roughhouse in an odd sort of way. James wonders if he knows what he’s doing. He wonders if this is a part of something Thomas was denied when he was young coming out to play now. As a child James never fought for fun, it was always brawls and blue knuckles and split lips and real, red rage. Now he is afraid to engage Thomas in return because there’s something in his blood that means even one playful punch might turn into a far more dangerous game.

Yet, while Thomas is never actively disappointed by James’ unresponsiveness, James is tired of playing the pacifist party. One morning Thomas comes to watch James drill his crew and James decides a small sparring session is probably good for the men. He is no stranger to the hot, directed longing he sees in Thomas’ eyes when they leave. The next time Thomas tries to pounce on him James is ready and acts faster, pressing Thomas hard against the wall, his arms trapped behind him and James’ elbow, not painfully but unmistakably, in his ribs.

“I could teach you how to fight for real, if you’d like.” James whispers in Thomas’ ear, so close he can feel Thomas’ shudder and the sharp exhale of breath he gives.

For a moment James worries he’s gone to far, that he’s done exactly what he swore he would never do and scared Thomas off. Then Thomas catches James’ lips between his teeth and is pushing him backwards until they are tripping over a chair and Thomas is sinking hurriedly to his knees, fingers flying at the buttons of James’ breeches.  

They’ve never had violent sex before and James screams as he comes, something primal inside him finally unrestrained.

Later Thomas admits that, on principle, he doesn’t want to be able to actually fight for real, though. He does let James teach him a few moves that have nothing to do with self defence and everything to do with getting their bodies as close to each other as possible.

~

On his darkest days, James Flint wonders with a deep, horrible anger, whether Thomas fought at all when they took him. For a moment he hates him for the reason he loves him and it burns at him inside. He can’t bring himself to consider what Thomas would think of him now.

~

The version of Thomas that James finds at the plantation is a compliant, malleable man. He follows orders without thought and lives in a monotony that James finds as unnerving as it is excruciating. It is as if someone created a clay figure with the concept of Thomas Hamilton but none of the notions that brought him to existence.

Months go by and James begins to push against his boundaries. He was not made to be contained and the more he is told not to resist, to resign himself and accept his fate as all the others have, the more he refuses to be mollified. In the evenings he starts to scheme and Thomas becomes a silent sounding board, offering no comment in criticism or support.

He gains traction, a sizable following from other men, and for a while the thrill of captaincy is brought back. Some of the overseers even start to listen, although they pretend not to. Still Thomas sits by the side and does not involve himself, though. He works and eats and sleeps and seems content.

Then one afternoon Thomas takes a whipping that should have been for James and does nothing to stop it. Later James shouts himself hoarse trying to get Thomas to see sense and Thomas only shrugs and goes to bed.

The next day he disbands his group of mutineers. He vows to finally let himself sink into the pattern of living that keeps the plantation functioning and does his best to quell the desperation inside him with a dull impassivity.

There is a riot staged by a core of his crew who didn’t give up their ideals when James did. They start a fire in the bottom corner of a field, intended to destroy to the fences around them. It catches onto the crops, though, and before long the whole plantation is a haze of orange and smoke against the darkening sky. There is an static prickling of potential rushing through James’ veins and yet he forces himself to stand still, to only watch as their captivity burns.

Thomas appears next to him so silently James only notices because he starts to speak. There are flames reflected in his eyes.

“I have been broken for so long I don’t remember living.” He says, turning to James. “Teach me to fight again?"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm super eager to write black sails prompts btw if anyone ever wants to throw them at me on [tumblr](http://ceraunos.tumblr.com) x


End file.
